Seeing is believing
Mervyn
Silva has become the talk of the town. On
private electronic and print media we see
and hear much about the latest dastardly act
of this notorious non-cabinet Minister also
known as Vermin. He is the number one
terrorist in the cabinet where all
government members are ministers.
The irony of it is that the Prime Minister
says that the SAARC leaders who met in
Colombo pledged to defeat terrorism in the
region; but the President, Prime Minister
and the media minister cannot defeat the
notorious terrorist in the cabinet.
According to Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva,
no one is above the law. Then what about
Mervyn Silva? Hasn't he taken the law into
his hands? Why cannot anyone reform this
undesirable minister who is behaving like a
mad man?
The opposition and the JVP vehemently
condemned the latest incident. The Free
Media Movement condemned it. According to
newspaper reports, the President just before
he left for
Beijing
had 'warned' the Minister.
Has this incorrigible Minister obeyed even
the President who has made him the
non-cabinet Labour Minister although he
couldn't get even 2500 votes at the last
elections? All warnings issued seem to
enter through one ear and out of his other
ear.
The biggest joke is that one minister after
another appear on TV, some with a broad grin
like Maithripala Sirisena, and some like
Susil Premajayanth without even a hint of a
smile, and condemn Mervyn Silva's attack on
media personnel.
Premajayanth's lame excuse for his
colleague's shameful behaviour is that some
people have habits and manners peculiar to
them. Can he just get away by saying this?
Shouldn't they correct and reform him?
Sirasa media personnel didn't just go there
to take Mervyn Silva's photographs. They
went there because they received invitations
for the function from the relevant ministry.
Mervyn Silva and his goons manhandling the
media personnel and trying to grab their
cameras and other equipment is clearly
visible, and his utterings are clearly
audible on the TV footage. Seeing is
believing. So who is fooling whom?
According to Maithripala Sirisena, Mervyn
Silva will get his punishment in his next
birth, because he says God will punish him.
Till then the people will have to bear the
atrocities of this unruly man. The media
minister made a statement only after four
days of the incident taking place. He also
condemned his dastardly deed. Will his
condemning solve the problem?
The recent attack on Sirasa is not an
isolated incident. There have been a chain
of incidents starting with the Rupavahini
episode in December 2007. Didn't the
government appoint a committee?
According to a newspaper of August 7, Nimal
Siripala de Silva seems to have said that
the final report of the ministerial
committee appointed by the SLFP to inquire
into the incident at the state owned
Rupavahini Corporation involving Mervyn
Silva would be submitted only after the
provincial council elections. Cannot they
conduct the elections without this political
thug?
Already he has started his election
violence. On July 28 he attacked a JVP
candidate's shop in Nuwaragala in
Polonnaruwa District causing damage to the
shop and some vehicles. He had even used
his famous pistol. Whatever he does, he
knows he will be pardoned by the President
and the police.
Why cannot the police at least question
Mervyn Silva when the TV footage of the
attack on Sirasa media personnel was shown?
About a week ago three policemen from the
Kiribathgoda Police Station collected video
tapes of the incident. These tapes will
prove that the Minister attacked the Sirasa
media men and seized their camera and other
equipment. Why cannot the police take
action now?
Is it because of the orders they have
received from the top? What the people fear
is that the Minister is carrying out
government contracts. Is the government
going to let him continue his ignominious
acts and let the citizens, especially the
media men suffer for ever?
A Concerned Citizen
Rajagiriya
Politicians and their wealth: before and
after
Very many of the species known as
politicians dabble in politics with the sole
intention of making use of the positions and
portfolios they hold to establish a sort of
family business involving their kith and
kin. They take to politics by making an
initial investment for their political
campaign with monies raised from their
cronies and businessmen around them.
After having won their seats and received
their portfolios, they get down to doing
business politically by appointing their
kith and kin to key posts in their
ministries and agencies under them.
They then initiate large scale development
projects that could be undertaken by their
ministries and team up with unscrupulous
businessmen with whom they can manipulate
tenders for these development projects and
other business transactions to their
advantage. Their goal is to make millions
of rupees from the transactions they put
through with their dishonest business
associates.
The more development projects and shady
business transactions they put through, the
more lucrative it would be for them. They
maintain that they have had to invest money
to achieve their political status and so
consider it their right to make good that
money and more for themselves even by
fraudulent means.
These politicians have become wise and would
no longer invest the millions they have
defrauded, in government securities for fear
of being hounded out by vigilant civic
minded people; nor would they deposit these
in banks for fear of being discovered.
Instead they are said to stash their
ill-gotten money in iron safes in their
homes and when the surfeit of cash cannot be
accommodated in the safes they are said to
buy estates and gold jewellery in the name
of their kith and kin. After this is done
any further surplus money is said to be
packed in suitcases and hidden away under
the politicians' beds.
Some other politicians have siphoned off
their stolen money to their clandestine bank
accounts in other countries and have
invested in villas and orchards for their
progeny in those countries. Whilst
maintaining a presence here, they visit
those countries at intervals to survey their
wealth there.
These politicians although they live very
comfortable and luxurious lives are never
contended and happy because they are always
on the lookout to make more money. They
also spend sleepless nights thinking of what
would happen to them if they are caught in
the bribery net.
No sympathy should be shown to these rogues
when caught, and the minimum sentence for
those found guilty should be confiscation of
the ill-gotten wealth and a jail sentence,
the first six months of which should be with
hard labour.
R. Senaratne
Moratuwa
SAARC, SAARC - Shark, Shark
Sharks! Sharks! Sharks! This un-earthly cry
was being uttered by my neighbour as he came
steaming into the living room. He was red in
the face, breathing heavily and trying hard
to complete what he had to say. Settling
him down on the sofa and helping him get
back his breath, I asked him just what had
scared the wits out of him.
After calming down he tells me: "The sharks
have come to town, the city of Colombo is
fortified and public roads closed down,
offices have been closed and so it is with
certain schools in Colombo. Travelling
within the city of Colombo has become a
nightmare."
Then it hit me - it was not 'Sharks' - but
members of SAARC who had been 'courted' into
coming to
Sri Lanka
by our carefree President, even though it
was not the onus of SAARC to make it the
venue. It was another scheme of our
President to scrape the bottom of the
already bankrupt coffers of the country.
While on the subject of SAARC, I read a very
enlightening column in a Sunday paper
outlining the 'objectives' of this
Third World
body. Reading them it made me realise the
irony of it all - throughout the years of
its existence which of these 'objectives'
have been achieved?
(a) To promote the welfare of the people of
South Asia
and to improve their quality of life.
(Contrary to this, the quality of life has
deteriorated to utter despair and
suffering. After the tsunami hit the
island, people are still living in
dilapidated structures with no basic
amenities, 'human rights' degraded to animal
status, destruction of homes in the guise of
security needs, police atrocities and break
down of law and order.)
(b) To accelerate economic growth, social
progress and cultural development in the
region. (It does not need a rocket
scientist to see the state of the economies
of most SAARC countries - some embroiled in
war and terrorism - while social progress
and cultural development are in the hands of
the police, ministerial goons and the
culture of violence that takes pride of
place.)
(c) Provide all individuals the opportunity
to live in dignity and to realise their full
potential. (As for living in dignity any
Tamil national will tell you how the police
and other armed forces treat them to
midnight photo sessions or being roused from
slumber and transported out of their homes
unlawfully. The full 'potential' has
reached dizzy heights with the ministers'
goons, police and armed groups terrorising
and keeping citizens in subjection,
including the media.)
(d) To contribute to mutual trust,
understanding and appreciation of one
another's problems. (The region that comes
under SAARC lacks trust and appreciation -
all of them making suggestions but not much
action being taken, while understanding and
appreciation of each one's problems takes
back stage. Which of these nations can come
to the aid of another? Most of them are
embroiled in terrorism and war or leaders
moving the nation from day to day on false
promises.)
(e) To promote active collaboration and
mutual assistance in the economic, cultural,
technical and scientific fields. (Can
anyone believe this? A large section of
India's population is illiterate and in
abject poverty while the leaders are more
interested in 'nuclear' power. Other SAARC
countries can neither manage their economic
matters nor have time to collaborate with
each other due to the disastrous methods
being used to run them. For instance in the
technical field Sri Lanka runs its only
national airline into the ground and the
President gives his blessings to a bankrupt
airline being run by a bunch of nincompoops
that have emptied the government coffers and
still run around with a begging bowl.
Regarding scientific fields, the defence
authorities can assist in manufacturing
facts and figures.)
Due to space constrains it is not possible
to run through the rest of the objectives,
but to that lot all I want to say is: Ha Ha
Ha!
Brian Jansz
Pannipitiya
Chronic urine retention
I read with interest your article on the
above in The Sunday Leader of July 13. My
problem is my inability to retain urine
especially in the night having to get up
about thrice, resulting in the involuntary
passing of urine on the way to the toilet.
I had an enlarged prostrate and was operated
on two years ago. The doctor says my
ailment is due to a weak bladder. I have
been taking a capsule named 'Tamdura' but
without any success for the last three
months.
I am 77 years old and a diabetic. My
diabetes is under control as I am taking
tablets. Please be good enough to let me
know your views on the matter. Isn't there
a permanent cure? Are there any physical
exercises that I should do?
J.E.A., Wattala
